Learn all about the different types of sesame seeds (white, black, tan/brown) and how they differ in flavor and in texture.
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One of my favorite things to teach people on this blog is differences.
To understand varieties of fruits, vegetables, seeds, etc and what makes them unique.
I remember years back going into the grocery and being upset that I did not understand the different in apple varieties. Boy how clueless I was back then. I wouldn't have had a clue what apple made the best pie or even which was one tart. That lack of knowledge has inspired me to really learn varieties.
The other day I was wondering what the difference was between white sesame seeds and the black ones. I have heard people particularly seeking out the black ones. There must be a reason why they are doing so.
Jump to:
📜 History
A little background on the seed. It has been around for quite along time - over 3000 years. It is known for being a heavy producer of oils.
It is grown in warm climates in places like Burma and India. They can be grown in the U.S., but we import than way more than we grow. Thomas Jefferson grew them at Monticello in Virginia!
Most people encounter them on top of a hamburger bun from their local fast food joint. A lot of people may not know they encounter it in most of the hummus they eat.
Traditional hummus is made from chickpeas and Tahini, a sesame paste, that is kind of like peanut butter.
❔ What's the Difference
Most of us are use to the white sesame variety, however if you have not seen black ones before, keep a look out out for them. The ones we are calling white or actually more of a tan/brown color. There are sesame seeds that are pure white, like these ones:
Here is a simple way to describe the differences
- Tan/brown - Slightly nutty, mild, firm, not crunch
- Black - More crunchy, stronger & nuttier flavor
- Pure white - Softer, mild, sweet, hull less
I did a taste test with all. Just popped some seeds in my mouth. I found that the black sesame seeds had a stronger, nuttier flavor than the lighter counterparts.
🧥 Hulled vs Unhulled
You may find the texture is different as well as the black often come with their thin outer hull still attached unlike their lighter counterparts.
The white sesame seeds are the same type as the tan/brown ones, they just have their hulls removed. So white sesame seeds are hulled and brown sesame seeds are unhulled.
The black sesame seed is actually a completely different variety. I tried growing them before, but they aren't easy to grow in my climate.
🥗 Uses for Black Sesame Seeds
You can use them anyway you use the "regular ones". Although the black seeds may not look as nice on a bun as the light colored ones, they can produce a stunningly black ice cream - just look up some photos. I like using black ones on veggies like snap peas, or in my ginger sesame salad dressing.
You can find tahini that is made from black sesame seeds.
🛒 Buying Tips
Whenever you buy sesame seeds check to see if they are toasted or roasted already. If not, you will want to do that before using, to bring out their nutty flavor.
You can put them in a 350 degree oven until browned or in a frying pan over medium heat until browned and you can smell them. Both are fairly fast, so don't leave the room. Burning your white or tan sesame seeds black is not what you are going for here.
🛢️ Oil
Toasted sesame oil is one of my favorite things on the planet. So much flavor.
Most sesame oils you finds are made from the light colored sesame seeds. However you can find black sesame oil, but it's not as easy to find. You need to look for oil that is labelled black sesame.
The oil itself is a darker color.
🥯 Everything But the Bagel Seasoning
You can use a combo of white/brown and black sesame seeds to make your very own Everything seasoning. The great part of making it yourself is that you can choose the best quality of seeds. I like to gather all of my ingredient from a bulk food store where I can get the exact amount of each ingredient I want.
These kinds of stores go through their inventory faster, so you often get fresher ingredients.
To make the seasoning mixed together equal parts of:
- Black sesame seeds
- White or brown sesame seeds
- Minced dried garlic
- Minced dried onion
- Poppy seeds
- Maldon flake salt
If you can't find minced garlic or onion, you can use powder instead. I prefer the texture of the minced in this case. As thing goes with the salt, you could use any salt, but I like the flaky Maldon salt for this recipe. I believe a good everything seasoning has a good texture, so you don't want powders here.
➕ More Posts in this Series
Found this post useful? Check out more posts in this series
- Cheddar vs. Colby Cheese
- Different Types of Peppercorn
- White vs. Yellow Popcorn
- Acorn vs. Butternut Squash
- Clover vs. Wildflower Honey
Homemade Everything But Bagel Seasoning
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp white or brown sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp black sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp poppy seeds
- 2 tbsp minced dried garlic
- 2 tbsp minced dried onion
- 2 tbsp Maldon flake salt
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.
- Store in 8oz jar
Notes
- You can make as much as you want. Just have equal parts of each ingredient.
- In our house we like a strong garlic and onion flavor. But if you want it more subtle than reduce the garlic and onion to just 1 tablespoon
- If you are worried about it being too salty, then just use 1 tablespoon of salt. Then taste it and see if you want to add the other tablespoon or not.
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